Today, with the country locked in a fateful election, the parties to Iraq's conflict are using the issue of partition to threaten their opponents — and the electorate.

Two key approaches will determine the Iraqi elections and the country’s unity. One is led by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who thinks that the current elections should produce a strong majority government that preserves the power of the central government. This is an implicit threat that a different kind of government, one that doesn’t include a third term for Maliki, would mean that Iraq will be lost in the political and geographic bickering, subject to the whims of the “partitionists” and that the country will split into political fiefdoms that will eventually secede.

Maliki — in his speeches, statements to those close to him and in private circles — claims that Iraq is going through a dangerous phase with major terrorist threats and explicit external interference, and that Iraq needs a capable central government that can preserve the country’s security and unity before the sectarian leaders partition the country.

On the other side stand the other political parties. They may disagree on many things, but all agree on the need to end Maliki’s reign and break up what they consider an unprecedented monopoly by the prime minister.